Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Description
Glazing for a rail vehicle
The invention relates to a glazing for a rail vehicle, said
glazing having at least two panes which are spaced at a
distance from one another and arranged above one another.
Glazing for rail vehicles in various embodiments is known in
the state of the art. Depending on a requirements profile
applicable in each case, toughened safety glass, laminated
safety glass, pressure-tight, sound-insulated or double-glazed
systems are used. Double glazing has prevailed in particular
for high-speed vehicles. Here, the two panes used are made in
each case of laminated safety glass, with either air or a gas,
which improves the insulating-glass properties of this glazing,
being situated between the individual panes.
On account of the multiplicity of requirements which have to be
met in relation to acoustic and thermal properties and also
required strength, such glazing is comparatively heavy.
Moreover, even when using laminated safety glass, there is a
considerable risk that windows may be destroyed by vandalism.
Indeed, in the state of the art plastic glazing, which is
typically present in the form of a single pane, is also known.
Such glazing is, however, considered to be problematic with a
view to different coefficients of thermal expansion between
plastic and body shell, fire-retardant properties, service life
on account of UV radiation, and exposure to sand. Reservations
arise also with a view to permissible bending of plastic
glazing during operational use.
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Proceeding from here, the invention is based on the object of
further developing the glazing mentioned at the outset, such
that lighter and more crash-resistant windows are achieved for
rail vehicles.
This object is achieved in that the one pane of the glazing is
made of a safety glass and the other pane is made of a plastic,
the two panes being connected to one another by elastic
spacers. Here, typically the pane made of safety glass is used
on an inner side of a rail vehicle equipped with the glazing,
whereas the pane made of plastic is on the outside. On account
of this configuration of the glazing with one glass pane and
one plastic pane, a reduced weight of the glazing results. The
pane made of safety glass, which typically is on the inside,
offers a required scratch resistance in the case of the impact
of vandalism, whereas the outer pane in a weight-saving manner
consists of plastic.
The one pane of the glazing may be made of, for example, a
toughened safety glass or a laminated safety glass. The other
pane, which typically will be present on the outside of the
vehicle, is made from a thermoplastic molding composition.
Examples of materials are acrylic glass or Makrolon .
The plastic pane may, on its side facing toward the outside, be
provided with a scratch-resistant layer in order to bring about
a resistance to vandalism also here.
The elastic spacers make it possible to take account of the
differing coefficients of thermal expansion of the materials
from which the at least two panes are made. The spacers are
preferably made of a thermoplastic resin.
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Overall, weight advantages result for the glazing in comparison
to the state of the art, since the density of plastic is
significantly lower in comparison to glass. Since plastics have
a significantly higher tenacity than glass, which rather
displays a brittle behavior, the risk of destruction is lower.
The altogether increased resistance of the glazing against
vandalism enables a higher operational availability of the rail
vehicles equipped with the glazing.
By way of example, an exemplary embodiment is described in more
detail by means of the drawing. The only figure shows a portion
of a glazing for installation in a rail vehicle in a cross-
sectional view.
In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the figure, an inner
side of a glazing, in relation to a rail vehicle, is formed by
a laminated glass pane V, which itself is constructed from two
individual panes V1, V2 which are arranged at a distance from
one another.
An outer side of the glazing is made of a plastic pane K which
is, for example, made of Makrolon or acrylic glass. The
plastic pane K is positioned in relation to the laminated glass
pane V by a spacer A. The spacer A is made of an elastic
material, typically a thermoplastic resin, such that it can
compensate differing thermal expansions of the plastic pane K
and the laminated glass pane V.
In exemplary embodiments which are not illustrated by drawings,
the plastic pane K may also be provided with a scratch-
resistant layer on its outer side. It is likewise possible for
the inner pane of glass to be made of a toughened safety glass.
Spacers which are of the same type as the spacer A are situated
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all the way around the window. The space between the plastic
pane K and the laminated glass pane V may be filled with air or
another gas.
